On Wednesday, an ambitious attempt by a Chinese automaker to ascend the renowned "Heaven's Staircase" at Tianmen Mountain in China failed and caused damage to a portion of the historic staircase. The Fengyun X3L, a new SUV from Chery Automobile, made an effort to climb the 999-step "Sky Ladder," a 300-meter-high staircase at Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park.
With only 30-centimeter-wide steps and grades that can reach 60 degrees in some areas, the ascent to the Tianmen Cave is very difficult, even for cars. According to an eyewitness, tourists screamed in shock, and the car stayed on the stairs for two hours.
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There were no reported injuries. On November 12 and 13, the stairway was restricted to the tourists; nevertheless, there was still access via the elevator that goes up to the mountain.
On Thursday, Chery apologized in public and described the accident's facts. The company claims that an unanticipated detachment of a metal shackle on the safety rope's anchor point resulted in the rope wrapping around the vehicle's right rear wheel, obstructing power transmission and causing the slide.
The company acknowledged shortcomings in risk assessment and planning, saying, âWe not only chose a famous tourist site as the test location but also failed to sufficiently assess potential risks and were negligent in detailed controls.â
Chery said they would fully restore the damaged site, provide compensation, and strengthen safety protocols for future testing. âWe sincerely apologise to the public and Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area for the damage caused,â the company said in an official statement on Weibo.
